Rail.



W. W. MOELRATH, SR.

RAIL.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 2, 1913.

Patented Sept. v1, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

' wWjlflElratlz W. w. MQELRATH, SR.

RAIL.

APPLIQATION FILED DEC. 2, 1913.

Ptented Sept.1,1914.

s SHBETSSHEET 2.

W. W. MGELRATH, SR.

- RAIL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, 1913.

Patented Sept, 1, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

" M Ezmtun Elm-M 1 UNITED STATES WILLIAM W. McELRATH, SR., 01? EAST RAIJFORD, VIRGINIA.

RAIL.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. Mo- ELRATH, Sn, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Radford, in the county of Montgomery and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rails, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in rails, the object being to provide a compound rail which includes a central headed member and side members which are removably connected with the central member, the joints of the side members being spaced from the joints of the headed members, and means being provided for sustaining the side members in engagement with and to support the central headed members.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means comprising separable members which have interlocking portions and which are adapted to engage with the joints of the side members or the headed members of the rails to effectively support said rails at the joints thereof.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claim. In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of a rail constructed in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, F 1g. 3 1s a sectional vlew 1n perspective of the same, Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 55 of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the rail chair members, Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the side members of the rail, Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the other side of the angular side member.

In carrying out my invention I construct a central rail 1 which is in the form of an I-beam but which has its upper flanged portion thickened to provide a head 2, the said head being of a width approximately equaling the width of the lower flange 3 of said member 1. The web 4 connecting the head 2 and flange 3 provides the inner walls of the channels which are arranged longitudinall'y of the underface of the head. the said web being rounded and curved to its terminal with the upper wall of said channel Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

Application filed December 2. 1913. Serial No. 804,257.

The side members 6 for the rail include horizontally straight base portions 7 which are, approximately medially, formed With angular portions 8 which are adapted to overlie the base portions 3 of the rail mer her 1, and the said portions 8 have integrally formed therewith vertically disposed longitudinally extending plates 9 which are adapted to contact with the webs 4 of the rail sections 1, the said plates 9 having their upper and inner edges rounded, as at 10, to correspond with the rounded inner walls of the channels, the said upper edges being received within thesaid channels. The vertical plates 9 below their edges received within the channels are formed upon their .outer faces with longitudinally extending shoulders 11, the said shoulders receiving the underfaces of the head 2 of the rail section 1. The base 7, it will be noted, extends in opposite directions from the angular flanged portion 8, and the passage provided between the angular portion 8 and the base 7 is greater than the width of the base flanges of the section 1 between its web 4 and its outer longitudinal edges. The inner edges of the base portion 7 of the sides are preferably rounded or beveled upwardly toward the underface of the base of the rail, as indicated by the numerals 12, and the said edges 12 do not contact but are disposed a slight distance away from each other when the said sides are arranged upon the rail section 1. With such construction, it will be noted that the sides (5 may be readily swung outwardly of the sections 1, the rounded por' tions 10 of the upper and inner edges of the plates 9 co-acting With the rounded inner walls of the channels 5, and the non-contacting of the longitudinal edges of the base flanges 3 of the sections 1 with the inner wall provided between the base 7 and the angular flange 8 permitting the said base to be swung outwardly from the rail sections 1, thus obviating the necessity of sliding the side members into engaging position with the central members of the rails. The junC ture of the base portions 3 with the vertical webs 4 of the sections 1 is slightly on an obtuse angle, as is clearly illustrated by the drawing, and the angular flange 8 is correspondingly angular at its juncture with the plate 9 upon each of the side members, as will be readily noted from the figures of the drawing, and the portion of the base 7 which extends outwardly from the angular flange 8, and which may be designated by the numeral 13 has its outer edges engaged. by spikes 14 which enter the ties upon which the structure is arranged. It is to be noted that the meeting edges of the sections 1 are arranged approximately centrally of the side members 6 'so that the ends of the side members will likewise meet approximately central of the sections 1, thus breaking the joints of the inner sections throughout the rail. 1

In securing the side rails to the central or main rail I provide two round openings in the center of the web of the said main rail and one or more elongated holes in the said web adjacent each of the ends of said main rail, the plates 9 of the side rails being provided with corresponding openings and through all of said registering openings pass bolts 15 having the usual connecting nuts 16. By such an arrangement the central bolts passing'through the round openings in the center of the main rail will have a tendencyto hold the said portion of the rail against movement due to expansion or contraction, and by the peculiar construction and arrangement of the side rails when engaging the central rail, the securing elements are relieved from all strain, the said strain being absorbed between the shoulders 11, the upper edges 10 and the base portions 7 of the side rails.

' In order to add to the rigidity of the rail, especially at the joints thereof, I have found it desirable to provide the same with rail chairs, each of which comprises a base 19 in the nature of a flat rectangular member which is provided at a suitable distance said portions 21 engaging with the outer faces of the vertical plates of the side rails, and the upper and inner edges of the same are rounded, as at 22, to agree with the rounded surfaces provided between the shoulders 11 and the vertical plates9 of the said side rails. The inner edgeof theba'se 19 of each ofthe chairs is provided with right angular downturned portions 23-23, the lower edge of the member 23 being provided with anioritwardly extending longitudinally arranged foot 24. The second and co-acting chair section is of a similar construction to that just described, except that the inner edge of the base thereof does not 'haveits downturned portion 23' provided with the foot 24, but the said portion 23 rests upon the foot 24 of the co-acting section. To reinforce the vertically disposed flange members 23 and 23the chair members are provided with integrally formed ribs 25 formed upon the lower faces of the base portions of the chairs and the outer faces of the members 23 and 23 which latter are provided with openings 26 for the reception of securing elements in the nature of bolts and nuts therefor.

The portions of the base members 19 of the chair which extend beyond their angular members 20 are provided with suitable openings for the reception of spikes which enter the ties T, the said openings being disposed a suitable distance from the portions 2323 so that the said portions may be arranged between the ties.

From the above description, taken in con nection with the accompanying drawings,

the simplicity of the device as well as the advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

In combination, a main rail, the head of said rail having depending longitudinal edge portions defining channels with the opposite side faces of the web of the rail, side plates of substantially L-shaped formation engaging the base flange and web of the rail and having their upper edges snugly disposed within said channel, each of said plates being formed with a laterally disposed shoulder for engagement with the said depend- 'ing edges of the head of the rail, and a chair receiving said rail and bearing against the underside of said shoulder.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. MoELRATI-I, SR.

Witnesses: M. M. CALDWELL,

W. W. MOELRATH,J1. 

